New LP means change, growth to Apink

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korean girl group Apink on Monday hoped to show ample change and growth with its latest album "Pink Revolution," calling musical maturity its top priority to match its six-year career.

In a media showcase held in southeastern Seoul, the girl group called its third full-length album a "revolution," exploring different genres in the album's nine songs, including "Boom Pow Love," "Ding Dong," "Oh Yes," "Catch Me" and lead song "Only One."

"This is not our first attempt to show Apink's mature side, but we went the extra mile with this album to meet the expectations for our musical growth six years after our debut," Apink's Cho-rong said. Other six members, Bo-mi, Eun-ji, Na-eun, Nam-joo and Ha-young, also beamed with confidence in their new work.

During the media event that came after a 14-month hiatus, the six-member act staged three songs, "Boom Pow Love," "Ding Dong" and lead song "Only One."

"We chose a song with a pretty melody over a catchy 'hook song' because we wanted to sing good songs based on good music," Apink's Eun-ji said.

The girl group was not entirely free from its trademark image of "pure and young," a key concept since its debut in 2011. The new album jacket includes multiple photos that bring to mind a first love, according to Apink's Namju. The white-and-pink theme remained prevalent in the music video of the album's lead song "Only One," released at Sunday midnight.

However, the band ventured a step further to try new genres. "Only One," composed by hit songwriter Blackeyed Pilseung, blends mid-tempo R&B and dance-pop with subtle hip-hop rhythm. Upon its release, the song swept No. 1 slots in seven mainstream music charts here, including Naver Music, Mnet Music, Olleh Music and Genie Music.

"Boom Pow Love," another song staged at the media event, showed far more urban-pop, energetic vibe with a pulsing beat compared to its previous hits, such as "NoNoNo," "Hush" and "LUV."

In the question and answer session that followed the performance, Apink members said in unison that the album was dearer than their earlier works, since they had a stronger say in the new album's concept, costumes and music video.

Typical K-pop girl groups try on a sexy look at least once in their first five years, but Apink chose to stick to its "sweet-and-innocent" concept to meet up its fans' demands. However, the members did not rule out trying "sexy" in the years to come.

"Changes always come with anxiety because we cannot be so sure about how the listeners will take them -- but we are confident (about the new album's quality)," said Cho-rong.

In addition to musical activities as a team, Apink members engaged in different entertainment shows during the hiatus.

Na-eun played the lead character in tvN's hit romantic comedy series "Cinderella and Four Knights," and Eun-ji starred in school romance series "Cheer Up!" on KBS 2TV. Other members also made appearances on variety shows, including MBC's "We Got Married."

Starting this week, Apink will kick off showcasing "Only One" on weekly televised music shows.